The design of the silk with its enormous repeat is glorious. The silk, which was designed for the Western market, would have been exported to the The Netherlands by the Dutch East India Company, where it was made into this skirt. The silk cording to the hem and pocket edges is the same as on the Dutch hemdrok or waistcoat on the site, and also the Norwich worsted skirt, all made up in The Netherlands.
The design with enormous exotic seed pods hanging from branches of foliage with flowers, the background of pale blue satin, with foliage in a matt weave with minute knots.
The pale blue silk damask skirt with a wide flat knife pleating to the front 6 in; 16 cm wide, flanked by fine pleating 1 cm wide attached to a narrow pale blue woven linen? waistband, the right hand side with a large brass hook and eye above a open side 12 in; 30 cm, edged in finest pale blue cord flanking a wider tape 1 1/4 in; 3 cm the hem with similar narrow cording.
The Chinese silk measures selvedge to selvedge 29 in; 74 cm. The selvedges are red and yellow twill weave. Every 5 1/ 2 in;14 cm the selvedge has a small French type knot in blue silk thead. I have not seen these before on selvedges. There are eight full widths in the skirt.
There is no pattern repeat.The design is large and is the full length of the skirt 39 in; 1 m.
Length 39 in; 1 m
Waist 26 1/2 in; 67 cm
There are two long linen tapes to the waistband. This would have been for hanging up the skirt on hooks at night.
Excellent. At some stage the waistband has been taken off and there are small needle holes just below it. My guess is it was altered for another wearer who was a little taller. One of the front pleat does not lie quite flat. I would imagine a conservator could deal with this. I had another skirt some years ago and the pleat construction was exactly the same.
For similar silk: What Clothes Reveal by Linda Baumgarten p 50 fig 80 - dress
Fashion, Kyoto Costume Insitute p 99 - man's banyan
http://www.fashioningtheearlymodern.ac.uk/object-in-focus/mans-banyan/
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O356128/gown-unknown/ - banyan
http://collections.lacma.org/node/214490 - banyan
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/textiles-costume/a-court-mantua-of-chinese-imperial-yellow-5018370-details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5018370&sid=6c0df234-920d-44ff-9d23-ddb9288ab8df - dress
Clothing & Fashion. American Fashion from Head to Toe. General Editor Jose Blanco F,
Price: on request
Ref N°: 901
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